If you liked
Books like The Winter Queen
by Boris Akunin
Boris Akunin's The Winter Queen is the rare contemporary historical mystery that earns the word 'literature.' Erast Fandorin's debut in 1876 Moscow is one of the most stylish entry points in current crime fiction. These five next.
The shortlist
What to read next
River Of Darknessby Rennie Airth
“The first John Madden mystery. Post-WWI English countryside, a returning detective, and a serial killer whose methods come straight from the trenches.”
Murder on a Midsummer Nightby Kerry Greenwood
“Murder on a Midsummer Night by Kerry Greenwood 2008 review. The seventeenth Phryne Fisher Mystery sends the Honourable Miss Fisher chasing two cases at once in summer 1929 Melbourne.”
Malice at the Palaceby Rhys Bowen
“Malice at the Palace by Rhys Bowen 2015 review. The ninth Royal Spyness mystery sends Lady Georgiana Rannoch to Kensington Palace to chaperone Princess Marina before her royal wedding.”
The Rainaldi Quartetby Paul Adam
“Paul Adam's classical music mystery at its best. Four amateur musicians, a stolen Stradivarius, and a story that takes its setting fully seriously.”
The Keeper of Lost Causesby Jussi Adler-Olsen
“The first Department Q novel. Detective Carl Morck goes down to the basement and finds a five-year-old missing-politician case. The series begins here.”
FAQ
Common questions about The Winter Queen read-alikes
- Are these all historical mysteries?
- Three of the five (Airth post-WWI England, Greenwood 1928 Melbourne, Bowen 1930s royal London). The Adam pick is contemporary Italian classical-music mystery; the Adler-Olsen is contemporary Danish noir. The connective tissue is patient prose and an attention to period or professional texture.
- I want more Erast Fandorin. What else?
- Read the rest of the Fandorin series in order: Murder on the Leviathan, The Death of Achilles, Special Assignments. Akunin's subsequent Sister Pelagia mysteries are also worth picking up.
- What about other Russian writers?
- Outside of Fandorin, contemporary Russian crime fiction in English translation is thin. Akunin remains the strongest name in the lane.
The original